Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a major sea battle between Britain and the combined French and Spanish navies during the Napoleonic Wars. The British fleet was commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson. The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805.

In October 1805 the French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships was safely in the port of Cadiz in Spain. Its leader, Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, was ordered to leave Cadiz and sail to Italy. He hoped to do this without being seen by the British fleet of 27 ships, commanded by Admiral Nelson. The British saw the enemy ships, though, and caught up with them near Cape Trafalgar, between Cadiz and Gibraltar, on October 21.

Nelson was determined that Villeneuve would not get away. Just before midday, Nelson sent a signal from his flagship, HMS Victory, to the other ships in his fleet: “England expects that every man will do his duty.”

Nelson began by attacking the French and Spanish ships at the end of the long, single line sailing north. He then led an attack into the center of the enemy line of ships. For a time there was chaos. Villeneuve tried to drive the British ships away, but he failed.

In the midst of the fighting, a French sailor fired directly at Nelson, standing on the deck of his ship. The shot hit Nelson in the shoulder and chest. He was carried below decks, but he died just as it became clear that the British had won the battle.

By the time the battle was over in the late afternoon, Villeneuve had been captured. He had lost 19 ships and 14,000 of his men were killed or wounded. The British lost 1,500 men but not a single ship. As a result of the battle the British Navy was the most important and powerful navy in the world for the next 100 years.

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